Alexa Tarantino (born May 30, 1992, in

West Hartford West Hartford is a town in Hartford County, Connecticut, United States, west of downtown Hartford. The town is part of the Capitol Planning Region. The population was 64,083 at the 2020 census. The town's popular downtown area is colloquiall ...

Connecticut Connecticut ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It borders Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, New York (state), New York to the west, and Long Island Sound to the south. ...

) is an American

jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana, in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Its roots are in blues, ragtime, European harmony, African rhythmic rituals, spirituals, h ...

saxophonist, woodwind doubler, composer and educator.

Early life and education

Tarantino obtained a bachelor's degree in Jazz Saxophone Performance and Music Education along with a Certificate in Arts Leadership from the

Eastman School of Music The Eastman School of Music is the music school of the University of Rochester, a private research university in Rochester, New York, United States. Established in 1921 by celebrated industrialist and philanthropist George Eastman, it was the ...

in Rochester, New York. She received her master's degree in Jazz Studies from

The Juilliard School The Juilliard School ( ) is a Private university, private performing arts music school, conservatory in New York City. Founded by Frank Damrosch as the Institute of Musical Art in 1905, the school later added dance and drama programs and became ...

Musical career

She has played with Sherrie Maricle and the DIVA Jazz Orchestra, the

Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra (also known as the JLCO) is an American big band and jazz orchestra led by trumpeter Wynton Marsalis. The orchestra is part of Jazz at Lincoln Center, a performing arts organization in New York City. History ...

Darcy James Argue Darcy James Argue (born May 23, 1975) is a jazz composer and bandleader known for his work with his 18-piece ensemble, Secret Society. Biography Argue was born in Vancouver, British Columbia. He studied at McGill University in Montreal from 1993 ...

's Secret Society,

Wynton Marsalis Wynton Learson Marsalis (born October 18, 1961) is an American trumpeter, composer, and music instructor, who is currently the artistic director of Jazz at Lincoln Center. He has been active in promoting classical and jazz music, often to young ...

, Arturo O’Farrill and the Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra, and

Cécile McLorin Salvant Cécile McLorin Salvant (born August 28, 1989)Fred Kaplan (journalist), Kaplan, Fred"Cécile McLorin Salvant's Timeless Jazz" ''The New Yorker'', May 22, 2017. is a French-American jazz vocalist. Salvant is one of the most highly regarded jazz voc ...

. Tarantino's most recent album, ''Firefly'', was released on

Posi-Tone Records Posi-Tone Records is an American jazz record label founded by Marc Free, a producer and musician who runs the company with engineer Nick O'Toole. The label's first five albums were issued in 1995. The roster includes trombonist Steve Davis, saxop ...

in 2021 and reached No. 7 on the Jazz Week Charts. Her second album as leader, ''Clarity'', was also released by Posi-Tone. On it, she plays alto and soprano saxophones, flute, and alto flute. Tarantino's debut album as leader, ''Winds of Change'', was released by

in 2019, and reached No. 15 on the

JazzWeek ''JazzWeek'' is a jazz magazine that was co-founded by Ed Trefzger in August 2001. ''Jazzweek'' publishes industry news and a weekly top 100 ranking of music played by jazz radio stations. Collection Method Originally, the company gathered its ...

charts and No. 79 on the 2019

Top 100. The personnel on this album included Ulysses Owens Jr. (drums), Christian Sands (piano), Joe Martin (bass), and Nick Finzer (trombone). Tarantino was nominated as a "Rising Star- Alto Saxophone" by

Downbeat Magazine ''DownBeat'' (styled in all caps) is an American music magazine devoted to "jazz, blues and beyond", the last word indicating its expansion beyond the jazz realm that it covered exclusively in previous years. The publication was established in 1 ...

's Critics' Poll in 2021 and 2020 and ''

JazzTimes ''JazzTimes'' was an American print magazine devoted to jazz. Published 10 times a year, it was founded in Washington, D.C., in 1970 by Ira Sabin as the newsletter ''Radio Free Jazz'' to complement his record store. Coverage After a decade ...

'' Critics' Poll named her one of the "Top 5 Alto Saxophonists of 2019". She has also worked extensively with pianist

Steven Feifke Steven Feifke (born June 21, 1991) is an American jazz pianist, composer, orchestrator, and arranger. In 2023, Feifke became the youngest musician to win The Grammy Award for Best Large Jazz Ensemble at The 65th Annual Grammy Awards. Early li ...

. In 2021, Tarantino was a recipient of the Jazz Coalition Fund.

Discography

As leader/co-leader

As sidewoman

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Tarantino, Alexa Eastman School of Music alumni American jazz saxophonists American women jazz saxophonists Posi-Tone Records artists 21st-century American saxophonists 1992 births Living people Jazz musicians from Connecticut Entertainers from West Hartford, Connecticut